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State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) and his colleagues in the New York State Senate recently passed legislation that would make it a crime for school employees to engage in sexual activity with students, including those who are older than New York’s legal age of consent. The bill (S.6714) addresses inappropriate student-school employee relationships by criminalizing sexual conduct between school employees and full-time students of elementary and secondary schools.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) and his colleagues in the New York State Senate recently passed legislation (S.7407) that would make the viewing of child pornography a felony crime. The bill amends current state law to say that a person is guilty of a crime when the person knowingly accesses child pornography with the intent to view.

The legislation comes after a state Court of Appeals ruling earlier this month that said viewing child pornography on the Internet is not a crime. This legislation closes that loophole.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) and his colleagues in the New York State Senate recently joined law enforcement, insurance advocates, and victims to press for the Assembly's passage of three auto insurance fraud prevention bills before the end of the Legislative Session.

The package of legislation passed by the Senate would cut down on auto insurance scams by increasing penalties for those who commit or assist in the fraud and gives more flexibility to insurance companies to prevent such criminals from getting policies and committing auto fraud, Senator Farley reported.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) had the pleasure of meeting students from Pashley Elementary School on May 2nd in Albany. The fourth grade students toured the Capitol and spoke to Senator Farley about his job.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) had the pleasure of meeting students from Pashley Elementary School on May 2nd in Albany. The fourth grade students toured the Capitol and spoke to Senator Farley about his job.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) had the pleasure of meeting students from Pashley Elementary School on May 2nd in Albany. The fourth grade students toured the Capitol and spoke to Senator Farley about his job.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) reported the New York State Senate passed a package of eight bills this week to prevent sexual predators from obtaining access to potential victims and help law enforcement and communities keep track of their whereabouts. The bills will help increase the amount of information available about convicted sex offenders and seeks to prevent them from obtaining access to vulnerable individuals.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) enjoyed chatting with students from Marcia Smith and Andrea Breton’s fourth grade classes on May 1st. The students from Glen Worden Elementary School took a tour of the Capitol and spoke to the Senator about State issues.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) enjoyed chatting with students from Marcia Smith and Andrea Breton’s fourth grade classes on May 1st. The students from Glen Worden Elementary School took a tour of the Capitol and spoke to the Senator about State issues.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) had the pleasure of meeting with fourth grade students from Mayfield Elementary School, Fulton County, on April 30th in Albany. The students took a tour of the Capitol and then asked Senator Farley questions about State government.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) had the pleasure of meeting with fourth grade students from Mayfield Elementary School, Fulton County, on April 30th in Albany. The students took a tour of the Capitol and then asked Senator Farley questions about State government.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) had the pleasure of meeting with fourth grade students from Mayfield Elementary School, Fulton County, on April 30th in Albany. The students took a tour of the Capitol and then asked Senator Farley questions about State government.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) and his colleagues in the New York State Senate welcomed cadets and staff from the United States Military Academy at West Point as part of an annual day of recognition on April 26th. In honor of the celebration, the Senate passed several bills focusing on helping veterans obtain jobs and protect their rights.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) had the pleasure of meeting with Duanesburg High School’s seniors from David Schalekamp’s Participation in Government class on April 30th in Albany. The students took a tour of the Capitol and then asked Senator Farley questions about State issues.

In communities like ours, neighbors are always willing to pitch in and help out during times of crisis.

Unfortunately, in recent years many communities across New York have seen a decline in the number of volunteers joining local fire departments and emergency squads.

With this in mind, many volunteer departments across the state are hosting open houses this weekend to help recruit new volunteers.

As part of an initiative called Recruit NY, these open houses will provide information about free training programs, responsibilities and what a typical day-in-the-life of a volunteer firefighter involves. You will also learn about some of the benefits you can receive from volunteering, like tax breaks offered by the state and some local communities.

On April 10th I will be co-hosting the annual Community Wellness Day with The Family Room from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Upper Level of the Riverfront Center in Amsterdam. This health fair is designed to put people of all ages in touch with some 60 Capital Region area health and community service providers for important information on a wide variety of health issues such as heart and dental diseases, as well as blood pressure checks and body mass index testing. There will also be children's crafts and activities.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) had the honor of presenting Ladan Alomar of Centro Civico of Amsterdam with the New York State Resolution naming April as Child Abuse Awareness Month on March 27th at a Senate Session in Albany. The two are pictured in the Senate Chambers. Alomar was representing both Centro Civico and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), an agency that is housed under her administration in Amsterdam.

Gabrielle Juers and Alexis Zalewski, both 10 grade students from Schalmont High School, shadowed State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) on March 27th in Albany as part of the League of Women Voters "Students Inside Albany Day."

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) had the pleasure of meeting students from Rosendale Elementary School on March 22nd when they came to the Capitol in Albany for a tour. The fourth grade students from Mr. Smith, Miss Mancini and Mrs. Meyer’s classes learned about State government and talked about the history of the State and the Capitol building with Senator Farley.

For the second consecutive year, the New York State Senate has completed an early passage of the state budget. The 2012-13 state budget achieves the Senate Republicans’ goals of reducing state spending, not raising taxes and creating new private sector jobs. The new state fiscal year begins April 1st.